Backyard fun for all ages

SNOW SURFING SINCE 1965

Christmas Day, 1965. The presents were unwrapped, the carols were sung, and Sherman Poppen’s two daughters were getting restless. In a stroke of genius, he took two kids’ skis and bound them together, then gave the surfboard-like contraption to his girls to try. Next thing he knew, they were standing on the board, zooming down the snowy hills near their Muskegon, Michigan, home. Soon, Sherman was tinkering with the design, coming up with a single-piece board that was shorter and wider than a traditional ski and equipped with a rope for steering. The neighborhood kids clamored for the amazingly fun new invention and, in 1966, Sherman patented his idea as a “Surf-Type Snow Ski.” His wife suggested combining the words “snow” and “surfer” and the iconic Snurfer was born.